Leave the car at home

Walking or cycling 1km to the train station instead of driving meets one third to half your daily requirements for physical activity (as well as saves pollution and fuel cost).(Photo: Medical Journal of Australia)

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Advice to leave the car at home, says one expert in this week's Medical Journal of Australia, is the best prescription doctors can give for improving health.

Sustainable transport consultant, Dr Chloe Mason, calls for the health professions to promote 'active transport' or 'transport exercise' in which people meet their transport needs more often by walking or cycling in combination with public transport.

"Physical activity has been described as "today's best buy in public health", she writes. "Brisk walking for 30 minutes on most days of the week fulfils the recommended level of moderate-intensity physical activity," she writes, adding that walking or cycling fit more easily into everyday life than the addition of recreation exercise, with its extra time and cost.

Dr Mason argues that The World Health Organization has now recognised the relationship between transport and health with last year's adoption of a charter signed by European ministers for transport, health and environment from 54 countries.

The charter acknowledges the full health impacts of motor vehicle transport (traffic accidents, pollution, noise and psychosocial effects), and the benefits to health of walking and cycling as a means of transport.

"Transport is one of the major culprits in cutting down our physical activity," she said, adding that the proportion of overweight, obese or inactive Australians has increased with an increase in our use of cars.

"Walking is highly efficient in its use of urban space and energy, it rarely causes injury and it gives streets vitality and personal security."

Dr Mason reports on overseas programs to promote active transport which she says have been proven to be effective, and calls for similar programs in Australia. The idea is that 'trip generators' - places where many people travel to - facilitate the use of active transport.

One simple example of this has just started at the University of New South Wales, one of State's largest public transport customers. The University has produced a fold-up wallet-sized timetable for the whole year, with information on express bus routes, alternative bus routes and associated information.

"As well as improving communication, however, we need to remove economic distortions, improve taxation and pricing policies," Dr Mason said. "In Australia, car use is massively subsidised. Public transport, on the other hand, is charged to travellers but economically the benefits accrue to those who own the land serviced by public transport,"